Comrades, family, friends, leadership,

Today we stand with heavy hearts. We mourn. We also celebrate. We mourn because we have lost a giant. We celebrate because Comrade Bushy Maape lived an illustrious life. A life of struggle. A life of service. A life of sacrifice.

Let me start by greeting the family of Comrade Bushy. To his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his brothers and sisters – we say to you: your loss is our loss. Your pain is our pain. COSATU shares your grief. The working class shares your grief.

I greet the friends of Comrade Bushy. The comrades who walked with him in the trenches. I greet the leadership of the African National Congress. I greet the leadership of COSATU here in the North West. I greet the leaders of our Alliance – the SACP and SANCO. I greet the leaders of government, national and provincial. We are here together because Comrade Bushy belonged to all of us. He was a son of the North West. He was a humble leader of the ANC. He was a quiet soldier of the people.

Comrades, today is a chance to remember where Comrade Bushy came from. He was born during the dark days of apartheid. Those were days of baaskap. Days of pass laws. Days when a black child could not dream. A black child was told: you are nothing. You will be nothing. But Comrade Bushy refused. From a young child in a village, he rose to the highest office in this Province. He became Premier. That was not luck. That was struggle.

That was sacrifice. That was the ANC. That was the power of a people who refuse to be slaves.

From his youth, Comrade Bushy made a choice. He chose his people. He chose freedom. He chose to dedicate his life to the liberation of the oppressed, no matter the risk. No matter the price. The apartheid regime was brutal. It killed. It tortured. It jailed. But Comrade Bushy was not afraid.

That choice led him to join the African National Congress. He did not join to wear a T-shirt. He did not join for positions. He joined to fight. He joined the underground. He joined Umkhonto we Sizwe, the people’s army. He took up the spear of the nation. He was ready to die so that we could live free. That is what we call a revolutionary. That is what we call a militant.

But Comrade Bushy was not only a soldier.

He was a teacher. He was a principal of a school. Every day he taught our children. He taught them maths. He taught them history. But most of all, he taught them to stand up. He taught them to be proud. He taught them that black is beautiful. That is why he was not only a principal. He was a leader of his community. When the community had a problem, they went to Bushy. When the people needed hope, they went to Bushy. He was with the people. He was of the people.

Comrades, the regime tried to crush the ANC.

They banned it. They exiled leaders. They killed leaders. But they could not kill the idea. Why? Because of cadres like Comrade Bushy. He played a key role in building the ANC underground machinery here in the North West and in what is now the Northern Cape. Under the nose of the boers, he built structures. He moved arms. He moved messages. He moved people. Quietly. Carefully. Bravely.

He did not only build the ANC. He built the movement. He helped build local structures of the General and Allied Workers’ Union, GAWU. GAWU was a fighting union. It organised farm workers. It organised general workers. The most exploited workers. Bushy knew: there is no liberation without the workers. He also helped build the United Democratic Front, the UDF. The UDF was the voice of the people inside the country when the ANC was banned. Bushy was there. Building. Mobilising. Agitating.

This work was dangerous.

The enemy was watching. And they caught him. They arrested him. They charged him. They sent him to Robben Island. The same Island whereMandela, Sisulu, Mbeki, and Kathrada were kept. Robben Island was hell. But it was also a university. On that Island, Bushy did not break. He became stronger. He learned. He debated. He planned for freedom. He came out ready to finish the job.

Then 1994 came. We voted. We won.

We got our freedom. Many people ran for positions. Many wanted to be seen on TV. Not Comrade Bushy. He did not seek the limelight. He was content to do the hard work. The quiet work. He helped build the new provincial government from scratch. He served. He did not shout. He delivered. That is a true cadre. A servant of the people.

But comrades, the struggle did not end in 1994.

The ANC in the North West went through pain. It was divided. It was weak. Government was battling. Services collapsed. Corruption grew. Our people suffered. When the call came, Comrade Bushy did not hide. He did not say “I am old” or “I am tired”. He rose to the leadership. He became Premier.

Why? Because the movement needed him. Because the people needed him. He put the ANC first. He put the people first. He put himself last.

Comrades, we need such leaders today.

Look at Ditsobotla. Look at our municipalities. Many are dysfunctional. No water. No lights. No roads. Workers are not paid. Tenders are stolen. We need leaders like Bushy who are not afraid to fix what is broken. Leaders who go to the people. Leaders who are clean. Leaders who serve.

We need such leaders to unite the ANC and the Alliance. We are divided. Our enemies are happy when we fight each other. They laugh when the Alliance is weak and divided. Comrade Bushy knew: unity is a weapon. A divided movement cannot defeat unemployment. It cannot defeat poverty. It cannot defeat inequality. It cannot defeat crime. It cannot defeat corruption.

We need such leaders to tackle the five evils facing our people: unemployment, poverty, inequality, crime and corruption. These evils are killing our people every day. A child who goes to bed hungry – that is violence. A young person with no job – that is violence. A worker who is robbed on the way to work – that is violence. A tender that is stolen – that is violence against the poor. We need militants like Bushy who will wage war on these evils.

Most of all, we need such leaders to give hope to the masses.

Our people are tired. They are angry. They are losing faith. But when they saw Bushy, they saw hope. They saw that a child from a poor village can lead. They saw that a quiet man can be brave. They saw that the ANC can still produce servants, not bosses. So comrades, let us not just mourn today. Let us learn from Comrade Bushy Maape. Let us be like him. Let us be humble. Let us be brave. Let us be united. Let us be on the ground with the people. Let us fight for the workers. Let us fight for the poor. Let us rebuild the ANC. Let us rebuild the Alliance. Let us rebuild the North West.

To the family: we thank you for lending us this great son. We will not forget him. To the ANC: produce more Bushy Maapes. To COSATU: let us honour him by organising workers. To government: serve the people like Bushy served the people.

Comrade Bushy, you ran your race.

You fought the good fight. You kept the faith. Rest now, son of the soil. Rest now, MK soldier. Rest now, teacher of the nation. Rest now, Premier of the people.

Your spirit is with us. Your example guides us. The struggle continues.

Hamba kahle, Mkhonto! Hamba kahle, qhawe lama qhawe!

Amandla! Matla! Long live the spirit of Comrade Bushy Maape, long live!

I thank you.